Cornell & Diehl Exclusive

(2.94)
A heavy perique based blend with red Virginia and mild cavendish that comes close to the famous Escudo.
Notes: The combination of red Virginias, mellow cavendish, and a full 50% perique make C&D's Exclusive a naturally sweet and incredibly spicy blend, perfect for the lovers of the Bayou-based tobacco. Exclusive was introduced in August, 1996.

Details

Brand Cornell & Diehl
Blended By  
Manufactured By Cornell & Diehl
Blend Type Virginia/Perique
Contents Cavendish, Perique, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging Bulk
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Medium to Strong
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

2.94 / 4
12

8

10

2

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 32 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 24, 2008 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
A friend sent me a sample of 967 to smoke and review. Thanks to him for the tobacco and thanks to C&D for creating it. Escudo was always a favorite occasional smoke of mine. Blends too heavy on the Perique are not favorites and I never found Escudo to be overwhelming in the "P" department. Nor, IMO, is C&D's Exclusive.

Heavy on strength and taste, this is a delightful change of pace smoke with a more sweet that sour lingering effect. It will churn the bellies of those who can withstand only the lighter fare.
35 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 21, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
The red Virginia is mildly tangy sweet with a little earth and wood. The Virginia cavendish is grassy with a little citrus. The perique provides plums, raisins and figs with a spice note that’s a little more than medium, and is very evident in every puff, though I do not believe it’s 50% of the mixture. 30 percent seems a more reasonabIe number. It has a fair amount of strength, but doesn’t drown out the attributes of the other tobaccos. The nic-hit is almost medium, and gets a little stronger as you go along, settling down at the medium mark as does the strength of the blend. The taste is a couple of steps past the medium mark. Won’t bite even if you puff fast. I prefer it in a bigger bowl as it seems to taste better than when I smoked it in a smaller bowl. Well blended and consistent in flavor, it burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with few relights. Leaves almost no moisture in the bowl. It’s like a stronger Three Friars without the burley. No matter what the description says, it does not taste like Escudo. Has a lingering, pleasant after taste and spicy sweet room note. Not quite an all day smoke.

-JimInks
29 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 18, 2014 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Update: 2-2015. I've finished off my original jar of Exclusive and recently, found my self missing the blend. I'm crazy about Bayou Morning, but I crave even more Perique occasionally. So I just got the next batch and after smoking a few pipes decided to give it four stars. The reason is because the quality of the Virginia has improved and the new batch has a sweetness, similar to Bayou Morning. This is a blend that demands a fresh palate and should be enjoyed without any flavored beverages, just water if you must. Anyway, Exclusive is great stuff as long as you like a super strong VaPer.

I've been a bit slow to warm up to Exclusive. But I'm glad that I delayed what would have been a two star rating. This is a very natural and earthy blend that if nothing else, might grow on you. And I think it's a good complementary blend to Old Joe Krantz; both blends share the very dominant spicy green(ish) Perique that I'm crazy about. The unsweetened Cav is so minor here, but it might give a hint of mushroomy? Flavor mid- bowl. The Virginia might be the weakness of the blend; is isn't sweet and comes across as cigarette smoke - very uninteresting. So from initial taste of Chinese Mustard and cigarette smoke, we drift toward a zingy peppery Portobello mushroom with cigarette to a similar but toned down finish. I like Exclusive well enough and it works when I need a break from the Burleys. A very respectable medium+ N level. If I could (magically) replace the Virginia with Old Gowrie, Exclusive would be a four star yum!
Pipe Used: MM Great Dane Spool
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes
Age When Smoked: 3 months from bulk
23 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 20, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
I liked this from the first puff. The Virginia is sweet and grassy. The perique is spicy and adds some plum when sipped. The cavendish gives it a mellow fullness. The description on smokingpipes says 50% perique and I have my doubts. The perique in Elizabethan Match makes my throat raw with consecutive bowls and this does not.

In some ways this is a little like Three Friars kicked up a notch. It was a great medium-full flavor in an easy burning and affordable combo. It is easy to recommend.
16 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 25, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
This came very moist and was a bit difficult to deal with. Smoke it too moist and it was hot and steamy. Too dry and it gets a bit harsh. Getting it just right required babysitting it. When just right the 3 components were nicely balanced and a pleasure to smoke. The wetter it was the more forward the Perique. The dryer it was the more forward the Cavendish (a strong Burley). The Virginias seemed to stay the same regardless. I liked it when it was just right, but it's just too big of a pain to deal with. As for being like Escudo, there was a passing resemblance when the moisture level was correct.
Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: fresh bulk
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 17, 2008 Medium None Detected Full Pleasant
Oddly, This tobacco doesn't get enough credit in my book. This is a WONDERFUL Va/Per with just a hint of cav that give the Overall smoke a hint of sweetness. It's wonderful in any pipe I have come across, and the room note is quite nice. I have heard this liked to Escudo, which was a wonderful blend in it's own right, but quite frankly, I like this better. It's in the bulk section for C&D so it is even a bit cheaper.

Very much worth a look.
11 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 18, 2016 Medium Very Mild Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Summary: a spectrum of Virginias mixed with Perique, this blend in theory approximates "Escudo" but in reality exceeds it.

Mixing summery Red Virginia with earthy and sweet Cavendish produces a base upon which Perique appears as not so much fruity as tangy with slight spice. Unlike "Escudo," the blend upon which "Exclusive" is rumored to be based, the Virginias take a broad middle spectrum that is not too sweet, avoiding the "breakfast cereal effect" of sweet Virginias with Perique. Instead, this is an Indian Summer blend, capturing the last fullness of the harvest season before fall, with a malted grain and fermented hay flavor that is full, gentle and yet appealing.

Thanks to former PipesMagazine forum member "misterlowercase" for this sample.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 03, 2004 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
I got several samples of C&D tobaccos from Craig Miller. I have avoided C&D blends due to some mediocre reviews in my early smoking days, and because the vast number of their blends would fuel a massive TAD hoarding if I liked them. I think that may be inevitable now.

Approximately 1/3 bright, brown and black tobaccos (each), this blend is touted as being quite heavy in Perique. C&D says it is an Escudo-clone attempt. I don?t agree, because this is less dark, more fragrant. There is a comparable richness and back-of-the-throat sharpness that I enjoy in both, but this is not quite as full-flavored. It packs a good nicotine wallop, though. I think Two Friends Redwood is a closer comparison.

Not much top range, but the Perique tang compensates nicely, keeping this lively. The Virginias shine in the mid-range, sweet, natural and smooth with a texture that I can only compare to a big, oakey California Chardonnay. The Perique is beautifully integrated, adding a rich, tingly/warm note that ?peppery? just doesn?t capture. Overnight DGT boosts the Virginia element wonderfully, while the Perique integrates even further. While not a wildly complex blend (neither is Escudo, to my tastes), Exclusive develops gradually like a good Virginia blend should. Highly recommended.

Addendum: To get the most from the Virginias, this blend should be 'air-smoked', a/k/a with lips not quite sealed to let in a bit of outside air with each puff. There is a touch of ammonia in the room aroma, but it doesn't detract much from the experience. There is also a slight bitterness in the flavor that somehow works. The bass range is mostly Perique. This does tire the tongue due to its strength and sharpness, so it is not an all-day blend.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 31, 2002 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
I taste the ingredients that that Escudo has, but they are not as well integrated in this blend. There are several reasons for this, namely the Big E is aged in a roll, and it's tinned rather than bulk. This should be cellared for about a year, then it would be a stellar blend. I might try it again, having it pressed by C&D. It works for 417P. Worth a try if you are tired of paying the cost of Escudo.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 24, 2018 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Strong
Cornell & Diehl - Exclusive.

A well rubbed, medium brown, ribbon, which arrives with good hydration. The pouch-note has a more than clear tang of Perique.

Exclusive takes to the flame easily, and tastes far better when smoked tentatively. When sipped all the components come together nicely, when chugged the Perique dominates. If sipped the Perique gives a dark fruitiness, abstains from developing a vinegary flavour, and gets a citrus-sweet support from the Virginia Cavendish. It burns well, nice and cool, without any bite.

Nicotine: quite strong. Room-note: not pleasant.

Exclusive? Alright, but too dependent on technique for higher than two stars:

Somewhat recommended.
Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Holmes Milverton
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: New
5 people found this review helpful.
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